


Homecoming

by Siver



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Chocolate Box Exchange, Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-24 19:24:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17710142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/pseuds/Siver
Summary: Van is defeated. Everyone has gone their separate ways. Jade returns home, but can't entirely escape a welcome back.





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lynndyre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynndyre/gifts).



Grand Chokmah did not see a grand entrance as grudgingly expected for which Jade was both relieved and satisfied that his plans for a late arrival had been sufficient. Naturally, a more public affair would no doubt happen in his near future, and he’d expect nothing less from the man so very inconspicuously hidden in the alley corner at the edge of his sights. A more public appearance would come, but for now he only wanted to go home, make preparations for the next wave of organization, and get some sleep. He proceeded onward, pretending not to notice.

His guest didn’t keep him waiting for long. He passed and then felt more than heard his presence—if there was one thing he had gotten right, it was his surprising ability to move quietly. It didn’t help.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” he said in a low voice.

Jade didn’t bother turning around. “Your rappigs would be more inconspicuous than you.” He smiled at the huff of breath behind him.

“Can’t give me a break huh?” Peony stepped around to join him at his side. “Since you insisted on coming so late, avoiding every chance to spoil you I might add, I thought I’d surprise you myself.”

“Can’t win them all I suppose,” Jade said with a shrug.

Peony snorted and fell in step with him. “It’s good to see you back, Jade.”

Jade’s gaze wandered across their surroundings: the water flowing past, a soothing sound, the street lamps and buildings lining the street, dark stone underfoot. All familiar and well-known and somehow strange. It was good to be back in its way; he was home. For how long remained to be seen, but it was an odd thought to think it would be for some time. More than their quick trips in and out, some more desperate than others, certainly.

The quiet was stranger than expected as well. He entered alone with all deliberation. He hadn’t expected to notice the absence (to miss—did it go that far?) of chatter, tired grumbles (oh _he_ had been good at that) and banter.

However, there was still Peony’s chatter and Jade realized he hadn’t absorbed a word of it. He just managed to catch the questioning turn in his voice and made a noise of acknowledgement.

“Great!” Peony exclaimed. “I know the perfect outfit. I’ll have it delivered early tomorrow.”

Damn.

“Hardly necessary. Your last offering was more than generous.”

There was the junction ahead. Good, he would be in a better place to pay Peony the necessary attention for sanity’s sake tomorrow.

“There’s always room for more,” Peony said as he started to turn off toward the palace.

“No doubt,” Jade replied. For six at one point. Recently in fact—an odd thought as well—it didn’t feel it.

Peony stopped when Jade showed no signs of following.

“Are you coming?”

“I haven’t been gone so long I’ve forgotten how to go home. I’ll see you tomorrow, Your Majesty.”

“Come on. I could use the company of my other not-cute Jade.”

Jade briefly closed his eyes for a last spell of patience. “Was that incentive? I have matters to attend to.”

Peony stepped up to him and Jade caught his frown in the lamplight. “I’m sure you do and I’m just as sure they can wait. You just got back. Take a break.”

“I fully plan to when I’m done.”

“You’ll go home, work until Yulia knows when, maybe go to sleep and be unbearable at tomorrow’s welcoming.”

“Why, I’ll be on my best behaviour.”

“Exactly. It makes the rest of us look bad. Some of us are still mortals.”

“I had no idea you cared for your public appearance. I’ve seen little evidence.”

“Jade…” Peony sighed. “Look, I can’t claim to understand everything you all went through for us, and I’m not expecting any explanations yet. Just take it easy tonight, will you? Come home with me.”

Jade stared down the road, weighing his options. He glanced at Peony taking in the frown, both worried, and more worryingly, determined. If he went home, Peony would likely follow and he still wouldn’t get anything done.

Perhaps a quick visit for reassurance’s sake. As for who that reassurance was really for was a thought swiftly nudged aside.

He shook his head in a display of exasperated resignation. “Very well. I can stop by for a short time.”

Peony’s frown flashed into a grin. “That’s my Jade!”

They passed through the street in silence. Jade eyed Peony expecting the flow of chatter to continue at any moment, but there was nothing. It didn’t take long to notice his watch was returned and something of the frown still lingered. Had it been only idle chatter or had he made an old mistake of underestimating him?

It was too late now, and as they approached the castle gate, he knew it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

 

Peony’s room seemed, if possible, even messier than usual. Cushions and blankets lay in heaps across the floor, most occupied by a sleeping rappig. One, however, remained awake and snuffled at him as he passed. Jade glanced down and suppressed a sigh. Peony’s names struck again: “Luke”. He swiftly bent to give the rappig a quick scratch behind the ears before moving on to the couch.

To his surprise Peony made no comment. The look he threw him wasn’t the teasing grin Jade expected, but something knowing.

Jade returned his silence while settling onto the sofa. He leaned back into the cushions feeling as though they drained what energy he thought he had and maybe he should have gone straight home as intended. And, now Peony was shifting uneasily with something clearly on his mind.

“I know I said wouldn’t ask for explanations yet, but I have to ask. Princess Natalia must be safe or you would have sent word. The others?”

Jade stared at a bare patch of wall. “The rest of us made it out. Luke…”

“Is he gone?” Peony asked in a tight voice.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t…?”

Didn’t he? Logic dictated he was gone, faded as Asch was also dead. Both gone.

“Is there still hope?” Peony asked.

“Isn’t there always for those who choose to keep it?”

Jade’s vision filled with Peony as he stepped up close. Before he could protest his hands slipped around the sides of his glasses and he slid them off.

“And you?”

Blue eyes stared into his—one set that had always been remarkably and inconveniently good at seeing through his deceptions. The comforting lie at the tip of his tongue would be far too easy for him to see through, but the truth was a painful weight in his throat that couldn’t be released. Too fleeting, too easily proven futile.

“I must be growing soft in my old age,” Jade said with none of the humour he felt. A side step, a flimsy cover to take the edge off. It didn’t help much.

Peony blinked. “Huh. If you think so, then I see no reason to mourn yet.”

“That may not be wise.”

“Maybe not,” Peony replied easily and took a seat beside him. “But when’s that ever stopped me?”

Jade’s mouth twitched as he closed his eyes. “A miracle that has yet to be seen.”

Peony’s hand landed on his shoulder. “If you need to talk…”

“You’ll get my full report soon. Sooner if you’d let me go home,” he added pointedly.

“Not what I meant and you know it.”

“It will cover everything sufficiently.”

Peony sighed and his hand slid to Jade’s back. Jade’s eyes snapped open as Peony tugged him closer to let him rest against his shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“Least I can do for one of our heroes who brought us peace,” Peony said lightly. “Comfy?”

Likely less fur on him than his couch cushions, Jade thought. And it… was surprisingly comfortable. Clearly he was more tired than he realized.

“Peace,” he said dryly. “Our world fell into the Qliphoth and we’ve changed the very fabric of our society. I can’t imagine what you might think chaos is.” He eyed the papers, clothing and sleeping rappigs strewn across Peony’s room. “Then again your views have always been scattered.”

“Peace,” Peony said firmly. “You came back safe and we’ve got this night. That’s good enough for me. We’ll deal with the rest as it comes.”

“Ever the optimist.”

He should be getting home before he did fall asleep here. It was getting difficult to keep his eyes open—a battle he swiftly lost as the sounds of Peony’s soft breathing washed over him mingling with the rappigs’ faint snoring. Very well, just a quick rest of the eyes. He wasn’t so far gone he couldn’t get away with that…

Peony glanced down when Jade grew just a little too still. Some of his hair slipped over his face and he was very clearly asleep. About time too, the stubborn jerk. Peony cautiously reached over to the blanket draped over the couch arm and pulled it over to place it over Jade. Jade stirred briefly, but to his relief remained asleep. He had to be tired to have slept through that movement.

Peony leaned his head back against the cushions with a soft look at Jade. One of their saviours, whether he’d admit to it or not. Someone had to look out for him.

“Get some rest, Jade.”


End file.
